Dale heap



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. 8: W. HORTON. I CLIP FOR TENTERING, STRETOHING, AND DRYING MACHINERY.

No. 592,707. Patented Oct. 26,1897.

HE uonms PETERS c0, wovuurum vosumawn. a. c

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

J. 86 W. HORTON. CLIP FOR TENTERING, STRETGHING, AND 'DRYINGMAGHINERY.'No. 592,707.

Patented Oct. 26, 1897.

F'IG.5.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH HORTON AND 'I/VILLIAM HORTON, OF VEST VALE, ENGLAND,

ASSIGNORSOF ONE-HALF TO CHARLES HEAP AND WVILLIAM TVVEE- DALE HEAP, OFROCHDALE, ENGLAND.

CLIP FOR TENTERING, STRETCHl-NG, AND DRYING MACHINERY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 592,707, dated October26, 1897. Application filed June 7,1897. Serial No. 639,640. (No model.)Patented in England August 25, 1896, No. 18,762.

Clips for Tentering, Stretching, and Drying Machinery, of which thefollowing is a specification.

A patent for this invention has been obtained in England, No. 18,762,dated August 25, 1896.

The object of our invention is to construct a safe locking-clip whichovercomes all vibration when traveling the length of the machine andretains its firm grip upon the cloth whether tight or slack. It alsoautomatically gages the proper distance from the edge of the piece, somakinga straight selvage. Further, our improved clip automaticallycloses upon the edge of the piece when feeding and automatically opensand releases the piece at the end of its travel. The clips are suitableeither for a return-machine or for a machine which allows the piece tobe taken off at the opposite end of the machine.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of- -ing the faller over ontothe cloth.

Upon the arm A of each link B of the chain we attach a plate O'withslots D. Pivoted upon this arm A in suitable brackets E is a fallerconsistingof arms F, to which is attached or pivoted a grip-jawor clip Gand gage H, the gage H passing into the slots D before named, and sogages the proper distance for gripping the edge of the piece J.

-At the back of this clip is a spring-pivoted locking arm, wedge, or keyK, which is operated upon automatically'by a semicircular plate L,attached to the machine-frame, as

This locking arm or key K is also pivoted .upon the arm A and has at oneend a rounded heel M, which when the clip G is opened drops behind asimilar heel N upon the boss of the grip-jaw or clip-arms F and locksthe clip G in this position. (See Fig. 1.)

When the locking-arm K is depressed, (see Fig. 2,) the clip G isreleased and comesin contact with a second bracket or plate P, whichcauses the said clip to fall upon the cloth, the cloth being graduallywithdrawn until the gage H drops Within the recess D in the plate 0,(see Fig. 3,) when the grip or clip immediately takes a firm hold of thecloth, and is then locked by means of the rounded face of the heel Mengaging with a similar concave recess upon the heel of the clip.Tension is put upon the locking-arm by spiral springs R, attached toWings S upon the locking-arm K and projections T upon the arm A.

. The action is as follows: In an ordinary tentering-machine the piece Jis placed for Ward on the plate 0, the clip G being open and looked, asshown at Fig. 1. The pivoted locking-arm K then comes in contact withthe semicircular plate L, which depresses it until it passes undertheplate, as shown at Fig. 2, so releasing the clip G, which is knockedover onto the piece by the plate P, (this plate is preferably adjustableto the position of the faller, so as to operate upon the same in aneffectual manner,) and as the chain is traveling the piece is graduallywithdrawn from the clip until the edge is in the required position, whenthe gage H drops within the recesses D in the plate 0 and the clip takesa firm hold of the piece or cloth. This is accomplished after thelocking-arm K has with the concave recess on the heel N of the clip andlooks it. (See Fig. 3.) Owing to the shape of the plate L thelocking-arm K is gradually depressed and gradually resumes its originalposition, so preventing any unusual or sudden strain upon the workingparts.

For automatically releasing'the piece underneath the machine a secondsemicircular plate, similar to the one before described, is

- ing and locking the clip either open or closed.

fixed upon the machine-frame in such a position that the plate acts uponthe locking arm K, as before described. \Vhcn the said arm K is passingunder the plate, the clip G is released and opens by gravitation, and asthe arm passes from under the plate it rises and looks it.

The clip is held open until the next piece is put in, when it isautomatically released, takes hold of the cloth, and is again looked, asbefore described.

In machines for releasing the piece on the top we preferably depress thelocking-arm K by means of a semicircular sheet or cover placed aroundone side of each chain-wheel. The edge of this cover projects so that asthe chain passes over the wheel the locking-arm comes in contact withthe plate and is depressed until the clip opens, as before described.The arm then passes underneath and out of contact with the plate andlocks the clip in position.

\Vhat we claim as the invention, and desire to seen re by LettersPatent, is

l. The combination, with thearin A, and a substantially horizontal plate0 carried thereby and provided with slots; of arms F pivoted to theplate A and provided at their free ends with a grip-jaw and a gage H,said gage permitting the grip-jaw to engage with the cloth when the gagefalls into the said slots; a heel N carried by the said arms near theirpivot; and a springoperated lockingarm pivoted to the arm A and normallyholding the said arms F in their raised position, substantially as setforth.

2. The combination, with the traveling arm A, a substantially horizontalplate O carried by it, arms F pivoted to the plate A and provided attheir free ends with a grip-jaw and having a heel N near their pivot,and a spring operated locking-arm pivoted to the arm A and normallyholding the said arms F in their raised position; of stationary platesarranged in the path of the said locking-arm and the arms F,andoperating first to depress the locking-arm and release the arms F andthen to force the arms F downward, substantially as set forth.

JOSEPH HORTON. XVILLIAM HORTON. \Vitnesses:

JOHN E. \Yi-tLsii, ABEN REED.

